# Intact Temptations



## Da Klugs (Jan 8, 2005)

Many here have boxes that you have not opened.

What is your current greatest temptation?










They call to me like Jessica Alba on Rohipnal. Just one. You will still have 9 left. What are you waiting for?


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## par (May 22, 2005)

A box of PSD4's that i got in august...

And i got 12 of the la flor dominicana factory press that looks really good...


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

Boxes not opened?

This is a problem I AM A LONG WAYS AWAY FROM SUFFERING :w 

BUT... If they win the argument... I think I heard them saying to send me one too 


EDIT: "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Da Klugs again"

Great picture!

.


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## DownUnder LLG (Mar 29, 2005)

Pandora's box, thats about the only box I got :r  

















(and I'm not being rude :tg , I'm talking about that box you open and all chit goes wrong... come to think of it, I think I've opend it already :r )


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## MoTheMan (May 24, 2003)

_I'm not telling!!_


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## drevim (Dec 21, 2005)

I admire your will power, Dave. Of course, since I have gotten only one Cuban box, I tore that mother open as soon as the wrap was off the box. Sorry to say, I am a bad person at waiting for anything. I will guess that regardless of how many more boxes I buy, I will always open them, and smell, and look, and drool, before I tuck them in.


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## RPB67 (Mar 26, 2005)

MoTheMan said:


> _I'm not telling!!_


:tpd: me niether !

But I definatley have a few of them !


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## opus (Jun 21, 2005)

Da Klugs said:


> Many here have boxes that you have not opened.
> 
> What is your current greatest temptation?
> 
> ...


Nail em like you would Jessy on roofies Dave. What's holdin you back?


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## DaveC (Sep 4, 2003)

RPB67 said:


> :tpd: me niether !
> 
> But I definatley have a few of them !


:tpd:


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## cvm4 (Sep 10, 2005)

I never leave a box unopened just so I can check them to make sure they look good and aren't crap sticks or damaged in some way.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

cvm4 said:


> I never leave a box unopened just so I can check them to make sure they look good and aren't crap sticks or damaged in some way.


Agreed, unless I got them for someone else who asked to have the box sealed. I like to open them at the store and choose the best out of the lot if possible, unless the first box looks correct in color, sheen, and rolling.


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## cf2112 (Feb 27, 2005)

cvm4 said:


> I never leave a box unopened just so I can check them to make sure they look good and aren't crap sticks or damaged in some way.


me too, with the exception of my BGM, one box open the rest sealed for along time


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Cuaba's look like a whopper of a smoke, but are medium in power. I love the rolling jobs they do on them. Beautiful wrapper color too.


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## Moglman-cl (May 27, 2005)

cvm4 said:


> I never leave a box unopened just so I can check them to make sure they look good and aren't crap sticks or damaged in some way.


I have a few unopened newer production boxes. Anything with even a little age gets opened now after the last mold fiasco.


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## dadof3illinois (Nov 7, 2004)

Moglman said:


> I have a few unopened newer production boxes. Anything with even a little age gets opened now after the last mold fiasco.


I had the same problem with the last couple boxes I received from a vendor. Now I'll open everything at least from them.


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## cvm4 (Sep 10, 2005)

Moglman said:


> I have a few unopened newer production boxes. Anything with even a little age gets opened now after the last mold fiasco.


I hear ya man...I just do it as a precautionary measure. They'll eventually get opened up anyway. I'd hate to hold onto an unopened box for 5+ years only to find out something happened to them during that time.


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## dvickery (Jan 1, 2000)

8 or 9 or 10 that are still sealed(not sure why).............biggest temptation some boli coronas  

derrek


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## RPB67 (Mar 26, 2005)

It was mentioned beforehand that exposing stored cigars to air accelerates their ageing, which would seem to be very desirable indeed, especially for those of us who possess less of the virtue of patience. Nonetheless, there is , of course, a catch: the oxygen in the air, whilst speeding things up, also has a negative impact on the quality of the ageing process, thus precipitating less beautiful and complete results. The only remedies for this, as you might guess, are 1) not to open the original packaging and humidor till the termination of the storage period, and 2) wait patiently with a stiff upper lip.
You can't have your cake and eat it.

Quoted from 

THE GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN ON HAVANA CIGARS!

Encyclopaedia of Post Revolution Havana Cigars


I guess its best to leave the boxes closed.


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## The Prince (Apr 9, 2005)

Da Klugs said:


> Many here have boxes that you have not opened.
> 
> What is your current greatest temptation?
> 
> ...


The same exact box for me. There is no way in hell I am breaking the box though. It would surely be a waste right now.


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## cvm4 (Sep 10, 2005)

RPB67 said:


> It was mentioned beforehand that exposing stored cigars to air accelerates their ageing, which would seem to be very desirable indeed, especially for those of us who possess less of the virtue of patience. Nonetheless, there is , of course, a catch: the oxygen in the air, whilst speeding things up, also has a negative impact on the quality of the ageing process, thus precipitating less beautiful and complete results. The only remedies for this, as you might guess, are 1) not to open the original packaging and humidor till the termination of the storage period, and 2) wait patiently with a stiff upper lip.
> You can't have your cake and eat it.
> 
> Quoted from
> ...


Double edged sword...You age your cigars for 20 years only to find out they were beetle infested or had mold or were cracked/busted in some way. Betcha wished you would have checked them when you got them in :r


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## Wasch_24 (Feb 8, 2005)

The cigars are exposed to sooo much oxygen while being sorted and boxed after being rolled what kind of difference is two minutes of air exposure while checking their condition going to make?


Better safe than sorry IMO.


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## Nooner (Feb 22, 2005)

Wasch_24 said:


> The cigars are exposed to sooo much oxygen while being sorted and boxed after being rolled what kind of difference is two minutes of air exposure while checking their condition going to make?
> 
> Better safe than sorry IMO.


Tobacco ages through a combination of aerobic and anaerobic processes - the oxygen is eventually consumed during the aerobic process(by aerobic microbes) and then the anaerobic microbes take over and that is when the REAL aging takes place - or so the thought goes. This is the method behind the thought that it is better to age in full boxes vs. partially full boxes as well - less oxygen to be consumed.

Now with the Humidity we normally age our cigars... I am not sure how much true anaerobic aging really occurs. It seems to me that we need a fair amount of air circulation to prevent yucky stuff from growing... I dunno... but that is the thought process behind ageing(how do you spell that word!) in closed boxes.

I dunno that I really feel it is better to age with boxes open or closed, I think in my mind the best reason to age with a closed box is that it may remove the temptation to smoke the contents. I have an open box of PSD4 Reserva that I haven't smoked any of that keep calling to me, and as soon as I smoke the first I know it'll be easy to smoke more!


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## SuperT (Oct 19, 2005)

Mine is a cab of PLPCs. . . a cab of. . . 40 (sssshhhh! don't tell anyone there are a few missing). I've heard PLPCs are FANTASMIC when aged. We'll see if they'll make it!

Seriously, I don't have the patience to put a box away for the long haul. I'm gonna hafta buy one and try though. . .


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## Warhorse545 (Oct 16, 2005)

Well I have no high dollar cigars, and have only bought a few ful boxes. But they way I figure is I bought them to smoke. So not worried about opening a box and trying one out. If they need to wait after I smoke one I let them wait. Other wise I just enjoythem.
But like I said, I do not have any high end ones 


Stacey


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## Wasch_24 (Feb 8, 2005)

Nooner said:


> Tobacco ages through a combination of aerobic and anaerobic processes - the oxygen is eventually consumed during the aerobic process(by aerobic microbes) and then the anaerobic microbes take over and that is when the REAL aging takes place - or so the thought goes. This is the method behind the thought that it is better to age in full boxes vs. partially full boxes as well - less oxygen to be consumed.
> 
> Now with the Humidity we normally age our cigars... I am not sure how much true anaerobic aging really occurs. It seems to me that we need a fair amount of air circulation to prevent yucky stuff from growing... I dunno... but that is the thought process behind ageing(how do you spell that word!) in closed boxes.
> 
> I dunno that I really feel it is better to age with boxes open or closed, I think in my mind the best reason to age with a closed box is that it may remove the temptation to smoke the contents. I have an open box of PSD4 Reserva that I haven't smoked any of that keep calling to me, and as soon as I smoke the first I know it'll be easy to smoke more!


I am well versed in the ins and outs of aging and agree that closed in a box will create better results in the long term. The crux of this thread seemed to be whether people even crack a box open to visually inspect the box before setting it aside for years.

Again, two minutes of oxygen exposure every six months or so really isn't a whole lot when compared to the exposure the cigars and tobacco had in the factory.

Just my $.02


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## n2advnture (Aug 9, 2004)

Dave,
Same box for me, along with some VR Jubs. (Lucky enough to have some singles though).

I agree with Todd, opening for inspection is a MUST - you can age a box for years without checking on them only to find them turned into sawdust by our arch enemy! (ie the beetle)

~M


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## LasciviousXXX (Oct 12, 2004)

Just do it Dave.... ya big pansy... besides, Wolter's is your bitch right? Just have him commission you some more :r


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## Nooner (Feb 22, 2005)

Wasch_24 said:


> I am well versed in the ins and outs of aging and agree that closed in a box will create better results in the long term. The crux of this thread seemed to be whether people even crack a box open to visually inspect the box before setting it aside for years.
> 
> Again, two minutes of oxygen exposure every six months or so really isn't a whole lot when compared to the exposure the cigars and tobacco had in the factory.
> 
> Just my $.02


Maybe... I dunno, but if you believe that anaerobic microbes do the majority of the ageing(spelling it without the 'e' just doesn't look right...) then that 2 minutes of oxygen exposure every now and then restarts the process - uness you believe the microbes are VERY effecient(which may be since they are operating at around 60-70% humidity)

I dunno - I say open, closed, 60%, 70% - do what floats your boat and tastes good to you.

Now, to make sure I am on topic - it is those PSD4r's that are calling to me... every single day - their call is like that of a mermaid...


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## germantown rob (Sep 19, 2005)

Well I have not had the problem of unopened boxs since my boxes have all been opened before they were shipped. Both of my distributers do this and when I asked them about this they said it was to check the cigars out before shipping them. As far as temptations, all of them!


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

germantown rob said:


> Well I have not had the problem of unopened boxs since my boxes have all been opened before they were shipped. Both of my distributers do this and when I asked them about this they said it was to check the cigars out before shipping them. As far as temptations, all of them!


Hey Rob... as an FYI and maybe you already know but....

The vendors I use do the same BUT they will also send them out sealed aka "intact" when or if requested. I requested that a long time ago and receive them as such all the time now. Also, for the record, I have had VERY little shipping damage or problem sticks.

FWIW, YMMV


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## par (May 22, 2005)

Are you sure that it's really a microbial activity that is occuring?
To me (and i'm not a scientist) i would have banked that what is occurring when cigars are aged is oxidization. It's well known that when something is oxidized slowly it undergoes a chemical transformation which can produce other chemical compounds which can enhance flavour and taste. This is why a cork is used in wine (vs. a screwcap) since it allows for a very slow oxygen exchange through the cork which enhances and ages the wine. Compare this with champagne which uses a compressed cork that ensures that no oxidization occurs and hence there are very few benefits to aging champagne once it has been bottled. When wine is oxidized too quickly it looses flavour and tastes flat, and based on your description it sound very similar to the way cigars react when exposed to too much air.

I'm just thinking out loud in this post, but it's an interesting topic to me. As i am somewhat well versed in wine making and use yeast organisms to consume the sugars in wine followed by oxidization to age the wine i'm thinking that cigars have somewhat similar properties. on wiki it was suggested that tobacco was aged to allow for slow oxidization and carotenoid breakdown (and whose byproducts of breakdown create fragrance and aroma).

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidation and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenoid
and of course: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco

Interesting subtopic btw.


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## germantown rob (Sep 19, 2005)

Franksmith said:


> Hey Rob... as an FYI and maybe you already know but....
> 
> The vendors I use do the same BUT they will also send them out sealed aka "intact" when or if requested. I requested that a long time ago and receive them as such all the time now. Also, for the record, I have had VERY little shipping damage or problem sticks.
> 
> FWIW, YMMV


Thanks, that is good to know. I think I will request that.


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## Puffy69 (Sep 8, 2005)

Its only a cigar Dave..Open dat biatch and smoke it then tell me how it was.:r Then send me one.:r and i'll tell what I think. Repeat next year..:r Have a good day.


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## cvm4 (Sep 10, 2005)

Par - I've always looked at it as oxidization too :2


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## Fredster (Jan 26, 2004)

I have some Cuaba Salomones that I want to age 5 years+ and I'm having a hard time not smoking them. Usually I have no problem cracking a box open to see how they are coming along. If your not going to sell them who cares if its opened or not.


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## Da Klugs (Jan 8, 2005)

Fredster said:


> I have some Cuaba Salomones that I want to age 5 years+ and I'm having a hard time not smoking them. Usually I have no problem cracking a box open to see how they are coming along. If your not going to sell them who cares if its opened or not.


I agree. The thread title and "intact" is to specific. I have many boxes that came "pre inspected" or that I opened but have not smoked. Some almost have become a phobia. Maybe it is a good thing. Seem to lose control and restraint once the first one is smoked.


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## KraZieMaN55 (Oct 2, 2005)

I always sample at least one cigar from all my boxes within 6 months so I have something to compare with as the cigars age. I don’t believe in depriving myself from good things in life.


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## kurtdesign1 (Jan 29, 2006)

I don't know if 2 minutes will hurt but the thing is, how many of our boxes will really be laid down for long enough for that 2 minutes to have the opportunity to hurt it? I know I have a small but nice collection with no more than 5 boxes that I won't touch until around 2020. I've checked them once but I'll never again. I trust my storage methods and therefore don't need to peak. I've got boxes I think will be better at say 12 years old, but I'm not sure if even just that long will really kill the aging characteristics if I was to check em out.

The boxes I'm most tempted to crack are early 97 Cuaba Divinos or a box of 93 Boli Coronas Extra. Man, both of those make my mouth water!


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## Da Klugs (Jan 8, 2005)

kurtdesign1 said:


> I don't know if 2 minutes will hurt but the thing is, how many of our boxes will really be laid down for long enough for that 2 minutes to have the opportunity to hurt it? I know I have a small but nice collection with no more than 5 boxes that I won't touch until around 2020. I've checked them once but I'll never again. I trust my storage methods and therefore don't need to peak. I've got boxes I think will be better at say 12 years old, but I'm not sure if even just that long will really kill the aging characteristics if I was to check em out.
> 
> The boxes I'm most tempted to crack are early 97 Cuaba Divinos or a box of 93 Boli Coronas Extra. Man, both of those make my mouth water!


You have god-like strength. The 93 Bolis? You really should just sell them (to me) and eliminate any possibility that you could wait all that time and be disappointed.


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## cigartexan (Jan 1, 2000)

DAVE! SMOKE IT!!! I had one tonight and man they are good for being young. Very strong and very Bolivar! Of course this is one smoke that I'm sure will be stellar down the road due to it's plethora of flavor.


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## Da Klugs (Jan 8, 2005)

cigartexan said:


> DAVE! SMOKE IT!!! I had one tonight and man they are good for being young. Very strong and very Bolivar! Of course this is one smoke that I'm sure will be stellar down the road due to it's plethora of flavor.


We need a lil devil on the shoulder smilie. Jack you are a bad man.  They are soo pretty to look at. Broke the O/R Cohiba Reserva box to repay a favor.... but I still haven't smoked one.


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